Ohio State men's basketball power rankings: No. 2 Zed Key
A year unlike any other is about to get underway at Ohio State.
One year after a roster bolstered by players enjoying the extra year of eligibility afforded to all who played though the COVID-19 pandemic topped out at 15 members, the 2022-23 Buckeyes will be a team facing unprecedented turnover. With coach Chris Holtmann entering his sixth season, a combination of early departures for the NBA, the exhaustion of collegiate eligibility and the allure of the transfer portal have all combined to create a roster featuring only two players who played in at least three games for Ohio State last season.
That’s not to say there aren’t familiar faces in Columbus. They are simply outnumbered by a five-man freshman class, ranked tops in the Big Ten, and a three-man transfer class that combines to comprise more than half the roster. Those new faces, combined with a few veterans, will attempt to outshoot their projected sixth-place finish in the preseason media poll and find a way to Ohio State’s first Sweet 16 since the 2012-13 season.
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Before the Buckeyes get the year underway with an exhibition against Chaminade on Nov. 1 and the season opener against Robert Morris on Nov. 7, The Dispatch will be producing its annual preseason individual power rankings list. These rankings are an educated guess at which players will have the most significant on-court impact during the course of the entire season and will feature each player on the roster.
We've reached the top two with third-year center Zed Key.
No. 2 – Zed Key
Position: Center
Eligibility: Third year (two remaining)
Height/weight: 6 feet 8 / 255 pounds
Jersey number: 23
Major: Consumer and family financial services
Background
After playing his way onto Ohio State’s radar with a standout performance at the NBAPA Top 100 camp held at the University of Virginia in mid-June, 2019, he committed to Ohio State on Sept. 22, 2019, during a weekend he had initially scheduled an official visit to Marquette. An official visit was also scheduled for Florida the following weekend. The Buckeyes were his only official visit. Florida, Cincinnati, Georgia, Illinois, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Penn State and Rutgers, among others also offered him.
As a senior, Key led his team in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (8.7) average, blocked 2.0 shots per game and shot 68.1% (178 for 261) from the floor. He scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds in a win against Chatsworth (California) Sierra Canyon, a team ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps.com. Key followed that up by scoring 37 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a win against Hillside (New Jersey) The Patrick School. In addition to being one of five finalists to be named New York’s Mr. Basketball, Key was named to the all-tournament team in three different events: The 2019 Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, The ‘Iolani Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, and The Montverde Invitational in Montverde, Florida. His season was cut short due to COVID-19. The Crusaders finished 22-3 overall.
He arrived at Ohio State in the middle of the pandemic as a three-star prospect in the 2020 class. The 247Sports.com composite database ranked him the nation’s No. 155 overall prospect, the No. 24 center in the country and the No. 4 player from New York.
2021-22 recap
After earning one start during his freshman season, Key began his sophomore season as Ohio State’s primary center and wasted no time making an impact. With Akron poised for the opening-game upset, Key scored the game-winning basket from the block to give the Buckeyes a 67-66 win at Value City Arena. It capped a night where he finished with 14 points and added five rebounds, tying a career high scoring total.
It was the first of three straight games in double figures to open the season, but after scoring only 6 points with two rebounds in a loss at Xavier, Key came off the bench during Ohio State’s split in the two-game Fort Myers Tip-Off but returned to the starting lineup for a Nov. 30 home showdown with No. 1 Duke. Against the Blue Devils, Key scored a career-high 20 points in 27 minutes, connected on 8 of 15 field goals and was generally a menace.
Key would start the next five games, flirting with a double-double in three straight games (13 points, nine rebounds against Towson, 11 and nine against Wisconsin and 7 and a career-high 14 at Nebraska) but came out of the starting lineup after the Buckeyes took a 67-51 loss at Indiana in their second game back after a 22-day COVID-19 layoff that impacted Key as much as anyone.
He came off the bench in a win against Northwestern before embarking on his longest stretch of starts: a run of 13 straight that came to an end when he suffered an ankle injury during a Feb. 27 loss at Maryland that destroyed Ohio State’s Big Ten title hopes. The injury would linger, costing Key the next two games, and when he returned for the regular-season finale against Michigan on March 6 Key reaggravated the injury and missed Ohio State’s Big Ten tournament loss to Penn State four days later.
A reserve during the NCAA Tournament, Key had 2 points and seven rebounds in the first-round win against Loyola Chicago and 4 points but a game-high 11 rebounds in the loss to Villanova.
It all added up to 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting a team-best 56.2% (95 for 169) from the floor in 29 appearances including 23 starts. According to KenPom.com, Key’s offensive rebounding percentage of 13.2 ranked No. 47 nationally.
In two seasons, Key has averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game.
Need to know
Key was chosen to participate in a Big Ten civil rights trip during the summer.
When Key scored and draws a foul, he shoots “finger guns” into the air before heading to the free-throw line. After dunks, he raises the roof while running back up the court. He has a pet snake named 7 and is a car aficionado who can build an entire engine on his own. His Ohio State teammates call him “Mr. Fix-It,” and he’s been known to change tires, remove dents, replace car doors and mount new televisions for his fellow Buckeyes. He has a one-off Homage T-shirt reading “The Most Interesting Man In College Basketball”, a moniker given to him by coach Chris Holtmann last year.
He has a unique story about his first name. Key was selected for a Team USA U-19 camp during the summer of 2021.
While on his official visit to Ohio State, Key spent time with program legends Evan Turner and D’Angelo Russell. He was primarily hosted by Duane Washington Jr., E.J. Liddell and Luther Muhammad. He has an aunt who lives roughly 15 minutes from campus. Ohio State assistant coach Jake Diebler was his primary recruiter. At Long Island Lutheran, Key was teammates with guard Andre Curbelo, now at St. John’s after two seasons at Illinois.
He has signed with The Foundation collective to capitalize on his name, image and likeness rights and recently spent a morning visiting with children with disabilities at Lifetown Columbus. He’s also signed an NIL deal with The O Foundation, a collective founded by alumnus Ron Stokes to specifically assist the men’s basketball program.
2022-23 season outlook
Key entered his third season pegged as a primary contributor based on attrition alone. As one of two players to see action in more than two games last season, Key stands as Ohio State’s most-used returning players from a season ago almost by default.
That doesn’t mean the Buckeyes aren’t expecting big things from him this season, however. He was voted one of at least three team captains.
“This year, the coaches want me to be a leader, obviously,” he said. “I am one of three people who have been here. Embracing that, because it’s tough. It’s still challenging sometimes, being one of the older guys. that, and expanding into the perimeter a little bit this year. You’ll see a little bit.”
Ohio State opened the preseason planning for Key to hopefully make at least one 3-pointer per game. He’s never attempted one in college, but he shot them during the summer at the Kingdom Summer League, was 1 for 4 during Ohio State’s two-game exhibition trip to the Bahamas and missed his lone attempt in a “secret” scrimmage loss to Wake Forest during the preseason. He also participated as one of four shooters in a 3-point contest during the Buckeyes on the Blacktop event in early October.
“I just think when you’re playing against a Zach Edey, Zed’s got to grow his game and extend it a little bit and we’ve got to help him do that,” Holtmann said during Big Ten media day.
Whether that qualifies as a “green light” or not can be debated.
“It helps expand the defense and open up driving lanes on offense,” Key said of adding a 3-point shot to his game. “They definitely want me to shoot and I’ll definitely be shooting some 3s this year in games.”
After scoring 22 points and grabbing a team-high 13 rebounds in the Bahamas, he has consistently been one of Ohio State’s most consistent players during the preseason. When he’s playing with a fully engaged motor, Key has the physical size to create problems against opponents who might have a few inches on him height-wise. And while he’s never attempted a 3 at Ohio State, the coaching staff has long believed he could and would eventually add a perimeter shot to his game.
Now it’s time to put it all together. Key showed flashes last season of being a top-tier Big Ten center, and now he is line to play 25-30 minutes a game. Even in a world of positionless basketball, his ability to step into that role and affect the game on the scoreboard and on the glass will be critical for Ohio State’s chances of success this year.
Additional reading
Ohio State Buckeyes: On Father's Day, Buckeyes 'juniors' celebrate bonds with the dads whose names they share
Zed Key: After fellow Buckeyes came to his aid, Zed Key emerges as Ohio State's 'Mr. Fix-It'
Zed Key: OSU's Zed Key, CPD's Anthony Johnson show 'we're stronger together' with dance video
Zed Key: From 'finger guns' to captain? Ohio State veteran Zed Key looking for more
Zed Key: Big Ten's civil rights trip leaves big impression on Buckeyes big man Zed Key
Ohio State Buckeyes: Freshmen Zed Key, Gene Brown turn limited chances into success for Ohio State basketball
Zed Key: Zed Key looks to build on Maryland game and prove self as consistent Ohio State player
Zed Key: Ohio State 'wild cards' Zed Key, Cedric Russell lead comeback win against No. 1 Duke
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State basketball power rankings: No. 2 Zed Key
